Abstract
Authenticating archaeological gold objects is a major problem, as gold is probably the most difficult material in terms of detecting modern forgeries. In 1996 we published the results of the study of faked and genuine gold crystals from the Santa Elena gold mine in Venezuela, and demonstrated that the U/Th – He dating method is a powerful tool for detecting forgeries among gold objects. U and Th decay by emitting He atoms that remain stored in gold. By measuring U, Th, and He, the time when the He trapping process started can be determined. In the 1996 publication we also mentioned that the same method can be applied to ancient gold objects, in order to determine the time when they experienced their last melting process and, thus, to verify their antiquity. In the present work we report on a systematic and quantitative study of He, U, and Th in a large number of ancient and modern gold objects.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callSimilar Papers
More From: ArchéoSciences
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
